Device for varying the length of gunstocks



Feb. 26, F' TURNER DEVICE FOR VARYING NYE LENGTH OF GUNSTQCKS Filed Feb. 24, 1950 F/GJ.

INVENTOR. L EEO) A TURNER,

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Patented Feb. 26, 1952 OFFICE DEVICE FOR VARYING THE LENGTH OF GUNSTOCKS Leroy F. Turner, West Palm Beach, Fla. Application February 24, 1950, Serial No. 146,096

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a device for varying the length of a gun stock.

It is well known that most particular gunners insist upon using a rifle having a stock of the proper length to fit them. The variation in the thickness or" clothing worn on warm and cold days has the effect of appreciably changing the length of the stock required to properly fit the gunner. Frequently, the same rifle is used by more than one person, and unless they all have exactly the same build, a difierent length of gun stock is required for properly meeting the needs of each individual. Accordingly, a primary object of my invention is to provide means for quickly and conveniently changing the length of the stock of any conventional rifle, Without the use of tools or special implements.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a gun stock having a butt so constructed that different butt caps of various thicknesses may be readily detachably mounted upon the butt end of the stock by the gunner in the field.

A further object is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which is highly simplified, compact, strong and durable andrelatively inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which will not detract from the overall neat appearance of the rifle, and which may be incorporated in new rifles during their manufacture, or in old rifles, with a minimum of reworking.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a rifle equipped with a stock length varying device enibodying my invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary central vertical longitudinal sectional view through the butt end of the stock of the rifle illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of a butt cap removed,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 3.

-In the drawings, where for the purpose of illustration isshown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral II] designates generally a rifle including the usual wooden stock I I, having a butt end I2. On the rifle illustrated, the butt end I2 constitutes a flat or plane surface, as shown. The stock I I is provided in the butt end I2 with a pair of transversely or vertically spaced deep cylindrical longitudinally extending recesses or sockets I3 and I4, and these recesses are internally screw threaded at their outer or rear ends, as at I5, and provide annular radial shoulder I6. Screw threaded plugs II, having axial openings or bores I8 are screwed in the outer screw threaded ends of the recesses I3, as shown, and the screw threaded plugs engage the annular shoulder I6, and have their outer ends flush with the butt end I2. The bores I8 of the plugs are smooth and are arranged con-centric with the recesses I3 and I4. Slidably mounted within the bores I8 and axially shiftable therein are straight elongated latch pins I9, which project axially into the recesses I3 and Id. The rear or outer ends of the latchpins I9 project beyond the butt end I2, and are provided with enlarged thin integral disk-like heads 20, which are generally cylindrical, and have bevelled forward faces 2|. Flat washers 22 are mounted upon the pins I9 inwardly of the plugs I1, and expansible coil springs 23 surround the pins between the washers 22 and fixed transverse pins 24, mounted within transverse openings in the pins I9 near their inner or forward ends. The springs 23 thus serve to bias the latch pins axially inwardly or forwardly toward the muzzle end of the barrel of the rifle. Since the heads 20 have diameters substantially larger than the diameters of the pins I9, they cannot pass through the bore I8 of the plugs, and will always remain positioned beyond the butt end I2. The pins I9 are however shiftable axially outwardly or rearwardly against the force exerted by the springs 23.

For varying or changing the length of the stock II, to suit the requirements of the gunner, I provide a readily detachable butt cap assembly or unit, designated generally by the numeral 25.

This unit 25 comprises a body portion or butt cap proper 26, provided in its rear end with the usual curved shallow recess 21 to flt the shoulder of the gunner. The shape of the butt cap 26 in transverse cross section may conform exactly to the shape of the stock II, so that the butt cap will form a substantially continuous extension for the stock. I wish to make it clear at this point that the length of the body portion or butt cap 26 may' be varied as desired, and although I have shown in the drawings a single butt cap 26 only,

plate 28 is rigidly secured to the forward face of l the butt cap 25' by means of transversely spaced fiat head screws 29', having their heads disposed within countersunk openings 30 formed in the forward or outer face of the adapter plate. As shown clearly in Figures 2 and 3, one. of the screws 29 is disposed at the longitudinal center of the adapter plate 28, while the other two against the force of the springs 23. The unit 25 is shifted further downwardly, and the heads pass over the straight or flat shoulders 33, until they reach the countersunk recesses 35, at which time the heads will snap into these recesses and be resiliently held therein b the springs 23. The tension of the springs 23 and the depth of the recesses 35 are such that the unit 25 may be. readily removed from the stock I I by striking or rapping it sharply upwardly with the hand.

- When this is done, the heads 20 will be disenscrews 29 are arranged near and inwardly of the opposite ends of the adapter plate. The screws 29 are arranged in transverse alignment at the transverse center of the adapter plate 28.

The adapter plate28 is" provided near and inwardly of each end thereof with a longitudinally extending elongated k'eyhlesl'ot; 31, having their enlarged circular entrance openings 32 arranged lowermost, Figures 2 and 3.; These keyhole slots 3.? are arranged in longitudinal alignment, as shown, at the transverse center of the adapter plate 28. Upon the inner or rear face of the adapter plate 28, which is adjacent to the butt cap'26, the keyhole slots 34 are undercut along both sides thereof, above the entrance openings 32, for forming side longitudinal shoulders 33, including lower bevelled or inclined portions 34, leading into the tops of the entrance openings 32. At the top ends of the keyhole slots 3!, and upon the inner side of the plate 28 the slots 3! are countersunk as at 35 to form a conical seat for the bevelled faces 2| ofthe heads 20 of the pins 59. The bottoms of the countersunk recesses 35 are below the level of the side shoulders 33, Figure 2, so that the heads 20 after sliding up the inclined portions 34, and along the shoulders 33 will drop into the countersunk recesses 35;. The arrangement is such that when the heads 20. are seated within the countersunk recesses 35, and also while the heads are riding over the shoulders 33 that they are inwardly of or below the inner face of the adapter plate 28, which is adiacent to the butt cap 26, Figure 2. As clearly shown in the drawings, the countersunk recesses 35 are arranged at the top ends of the keyh ole slots 3i, and remote from the entrance openings,

32. As shown in Figure 4, the side shoulders 33, project laterally beyond the opposite sides of the keyhole slots 3!, edges are tangent with the opposite sides of the entrance openings 32; As also clearly shown in Figure 4, the diameters of the heads 20 are such that there is but a slight clearance between the outer side of the shoulders 33 and the peripheries of the heads 20.

or undercut portions 33 will guide the adapter plate 28- over the heads 28 of the pins, after the heads have been inserted through the entrance openings 32.

When applying a butt cap unit 25 to the stock II, it is merely necessary to bring the entrance openings 32 into registration with the heads 20 of the pins I9, and to pass the heads into the openings 32 until the outer or forward face of the adapter plate 28 contacts the butt l2. When this occurs, the unit 25 is shifted downwardly, Figures 1 and 2, and the conical faces 2| of the heads 20 will slide over the inclined portions 34, and the pins l9 will be shifted axially outwardly and their outer longitudinal The arrangement is such that the side edges of the shoulders gaged from the recesses 35, and the unit 25 is shifted upwardly until the openings 32 again register with the heads 20, so that the unit may be'bodilyremoved from the stock. As previously stated, I contemplate furnishing the units 25 in diiferent lengths so that the length of the stocks of rifles may be variedas desired.

An important feature of my device resides in the fact that no tools or implements are required when applying the unit 25 to or removing it from the stock I I. The unit 25-is applied and removed by a single simple movement oft-he hand, as previously described.

It is to be understeod thatthe form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1 In combination, a, gun stock having arear butt end formed with transversely spaced longi-. tudinally extending sockets openingthrough'said butt end, plugs secured in the open rearward ends of said sockets flush with the surface of said butt end, said plugs having boresextending therethrough, said bores being smaller indiameter than said sockets and axially aligned with said sockets, pins slidably mounted in said bores and extending into the sockets, said locking pins, having enlarged heads on their rearward ends, spring means within said sockets acting between portions of said pins and the stock to bias said pins yieldably in a forward direction whereby said locking heads normally engage the rearward ends of said plugs, a removable butt cap comprising a body having an adapter plate on its; forward end, said adapter plate being arranged to abut the butt end of the stock when assembled to the stock, said adapter plate being formed, with transversel elongated and longitudinally aligned keyhole slots, said keyhole slots having enlarged entrance openings at thesame ends thereof, for receiving the locking heads on the locking pins when the removable butt cap is abutted to the stock butt end with said heads registered with the entrance openings, the keyhole slots being narrower than the locking heads and having undercut portions at the rearward side. of said adapter plate providing slide surfaces and shoulders extending along the opposite, sides of the slots, said locking heads having forward faces arranged to slidably cooperate with, said slide surfaces with opposite sides of the heads slidably engaging the shoulders as the stock and butt cap. are moved transversely relative to each other so as to move the locking heads away from the entrance openings of the keyhole slots toward the other ends of the, keyhole slots, the said slide surfaces at the said other ends; of the keyhole slots being; recessed to provide. coun 'tersinks into. which the forward faces of said h adsv are urged. b sa d spri g mean s. the

locking heads reach the said other ends of the keyhole slots, whereby said butt cap adapter plate is releasably locked in abutting relation to the butt end of the stock.

2. In combination, a gun stock having a rear butt end formed with transversely spaced longitudinally extending sockets opening through said butt end, plugs secured in the open rearward ends of said butt end, plugs secured in the open rearward ends of said sockets flush with the surface of said butt end, said plugs having bores extending therethrough, said bores being smaller in diameter than said sockets and axially aligned with said sockets, pins slidably mounted in said bores and extending into the sockets, said locking pins having enlarged heads on their rearward ends, spring means within said sockets acting between portions of said pins and the stock to bias said pins yieldably in a forward direction whereby said locking heads normally engage the rearward ends of said plugs, a removable butt cap comprising a body having an adapter plate on its forward end, said adapter plate being arranged to abut the butt end of the stock when assembled to the stock, said adapter plate being formed with transversely elongated and longitudinally aligned keyhole slots, said keyhole slots having enlarged entrance openings at the same ends thereof, for receiving the locking heads on the locking pins when the removable butt cap is abutted to the stock butt end with said heads registered with the entrance openings, the keyhole slots being narrower than the locking heads and having undercut portions at the rearward side of said adapter plate providing slide surfaces and shoulders extending along the opposite sides of the slots, said locking heads having forward faces arranged to slidably cooperate with said slide surfaces with opposite sides of the heads slidably engaging the shoulders as the stock and butt cap are moved transversely relative to each other so as to move the locking heads away from the entrance openings of the keyhole slots toward the other ends of the keyhole slots, the said slide surfaces at the said other ends of the keyhole slots being recessed to provide countersinks into which the forward faces of said heads are urged by said spring means as the locking heads reach the said other ends of the keyhole slots, whereby said butt cap adapter plate is releasably locked in abutting relation to the butt end of the stock, said slide surfaces being inclined with respect to the plane of said adapter plate from said entrance openings to said countersinks whereby said locking pins are progressively displaced against the resistance of said spring means as the locking heads are moved along the keyhole slots in engagement with said slide surface from said entrance openings to said countersinks.

LEROY F. TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 935,822 Schmidt Oct. 5, 1909 1,088,362 Perkins Feb. 24, 1914 1,334 467 Moller Mar. 23, 1920 1,847,777 Morgan Mar. 1, 1932 

